On cold mornings, my brake warning light fails to go out (the handbrake warning light).

Checked my fluid level, it's fine, brake pads have loads of meat on them.

When the cars warm, or it's mild out it's OK too. Any ideas what it could be?

 

the wirirg system does run through the alternator i.e if you take the belt off the light stays on as well might be a slow alt or something.

 

I had a similar problem. Left the car standing for a couple of weeks. When started for the first time eveything fine appart from brake and battery lights still on. Took it out on a short run and both went out. No problem since, my guess is the battery maybe on the way out.

 

Thatll be the mice.

In cars at such an age as yours, your bound to have mice.

They nibble away at the insulation you see.

 

Dave

The handbrake is worked by SHOES inside the drum built into the rear disks ... so you can't see how much meat is on them .... just the normal foot brake pads.

Unless, of course, you popped the drum off and checked, in which case I'll get back under my rock

How's the handbrake pull - 3 or 4 notches to a good holding brake, or more?

 

Have this same problem on my WRX.

When the brake fluid is about half way between min & max (still with plenty of meat on the pads), the warning light remains on.

Topping up the brake fluid (so the white float is covered) fixes the problem, but this also means that you have to remove the excess fluid when it comes to changing the pads

 

Thanks for the replies guys. I'm pretty sure it's temperature related though as the light stayed on all the way to work this morning, but it went off when I released the handbrake tonight leaving work. If it's a mild morning it also stays off. Fluid is up to max, brakes work as well as they ever did and the handbrake seems to work fine (need to count the notches but it doesn't come up to my ear )

I might just change the fluid, it's nearly a year old anyway.